The invention concerns a machine for thermal cutting of workpieces, especially a laser-cutting machine, with at least one workpiece support for the workpiece being tooled, as well as at least one cutting device. The invention also concerns a process that can be carried out with a machine like the one described for thermal cutting, especially laser cutting, of workpieces, wherein after a workpiece has been tooled, the cut product separated from the workpiece and a workpiece support are moved relative to one another.
In thermal cutting, for example by means of laser or flame-cutting machines, the workpiece in question is reduced to a fluid state in the cutting area. As a result, occasionally, it is seen that in typical machines and in typical processes, after the workpiece is tooled, the cooled cut product, especially parts of the workpiece produced by cutting the workpiece in question, when tooling any cutting waste or the tooled workpiece itself cut into, for examplexe2x80x94is welded to the workpiece support in the area which was first liquefied. To prevent interference with the work cycle in process or subsequent cycles due to the adhesion of the cut product to the workpiece support, the cut product adhering to the workpiece support must be removed.
The problem of this invention is to provide a machine that enables such removal simply and effectively and to provide a process for doing so.
The goal of the invention, in terms of a device, is attained by means of a machine of the type described at the beginning that has at least one mechanical device to produce relative movement of the workpiece support and of cut product adhering to the workpiece support after a workpiece has been cut. The mechanical device has at least one stop for cut product adhering to the workpiece support, and the stop and the workpiece support can be moved relative to one another to loosen cut product adhering to the support.
The choice of the direction of the relative movement between the workpiece support and the stop for the cut product adhering to it is preferably perpendicular to the elements or ribs of the grid support because of the fact that several pieces of cut product produced when the workpiece is cut and welded to the workpiece support, if necessary, lie next to one another in the direction as claimed and consequently can be reached kinematically simply with a correspondingly directed relative movement between the stop and the workpiece support and loosened from the workpiece support. Also, on machines of this type, a large number of such directed relative movements take place with the participation of the workpiece support and are also used to remove cut product from the workpiece support.
A movable stop is especially advantageous for machines in the invention with fixed workpiece supports. The stop for cut product adhering to the workpiece support can then be coupled with machine parts moved in relation to the workpiece support.
In the interest of the most structurally simple design possible of the whole arrangement, it is advisable to design individual machine parts to perform several functions, such as a movable holder.
One machine design should be mentioned in particular, and that is using the cut piece being moved by the transport device to impact the scrap pieces. With this type of machine, any parts of workpieces that occur during cutting that do not adhere to the workpiece support, i.e., free parts whether they are parts cut during the cutting operation or waste parts right after the end of the cutting cycle. The free parts can be used to loosen cut product welded to the workpiece support from the workpiece support. This can minimize the time spent loosening cut product from the workpiece support, which has a negative effect on the time that can be achieved.
In another embodiment, the workpiece support can be moved relative to the machine stop to remove cut product adhering to it. The machine control is used for automated operation of the machine in the present invention, so that the device for producing relative movement between the workpiece support and cut product adhering to it can be controlled by computer.
By computer control of the machine, the relative movement between the workpiece support and the stop for cut product adhering to the workpiece support may take place routinely after the workpiece is cut to a free piece and this makes automated machine operation relatively easy. Thus, to prevent the structural and technological expense otherwise necessary after the workpiece is cut, first checking the workpiece support for cut product adhered to it and then introducing the relative movement of workpiece support and stop to loosen cut product can be left out only if cut waste has actually been found adhering to the workpiece support when it is checked.
After a workpiece is cut, the free cut product and the workpiece support to impact the cut product adhering to the workpiece support, are moved relative to one another crosswise to the direction of the ribs of the grid of the workpiece support. This relative movement allows cut product adhering to the workpiece support to be loosened from the workpiece support reliably by action of free cut pieces. The amount of relative movement described in the crosswise direction of the reinforcement on the workpiece support can be very small and can lie in the millimeter range.
Preferably, the free cut product used as a stop is always slid over a short distance on the workpiece support and accordingly is exposed to less friction.